Lea Thomas returns to present us with a record of stunning beauty that encompasses rich textures, gentle pacing, and an earnest sense of peace for those who seek it.
Release date: September 20, 2024 | Triple Dolphin Records | Website | Facebook | Instagram | Stream/Purchase
Lea Thomas crafts precisely the sort of music the world needs right now. A contemporary embodiment of sounds that feel classical and rooted to the earth – old as time itself – her music breathes life, expanding and contracting while bidding you to do the same. It certainly compelled a freshness of air and renewed peace within this growingly curmudgeonly husk of a being. This, in essence, is a succinct insight into Cosmos Forever – forged from an appreciation of our earthly home and the years Thomas spent growing up on the island of Maui, the second largest of the Hawaiian islands.
The more I have listened to this album over the past several weeks, the more mesmerised I have become by Thomas’s music. It’s a potent concoction of sound that transforms every journey, invoking introspection at every turn, and makes me feel more grounded – something likely enacted by the themes and lyrics explored in this collection of songs. They embrace nature – both our own human one and that of the world around us – and guide you through meandering emotional routes: vibrant (much like the cover art), bold yet relaxed, pensive on many occasions without ever feeling melancholic.
It’s also easy to be drawn in by the endearing way in which Lea Thomas evokes similarities of sound to other songs and artists, especially as they tug at the nostalgic crevices of my often cynical chest. Of course, that does not detract from the distinguishable and charming sound Thomas cultivates for herself with the aid of a handful of fellow musicians. Strong slowcore vibes and slight dissonance are lathered in earthen folk tones thanks to a mix that captures every little detail from sea to sky and beyond. Warm, clear guitar sits proudly as an organic foundation, forming the basis on which many of these expansive vistas of sonic beauty are built, nestled proudly amongst keys, percussion, and analog ambience.
Aptly titled “The Gift” and “We Must Be In Love” are our first glimpses of this. Modest to begin with, they conjure a luscious, lambent coating of mildly distorted sound that washes in and out like the tide, calling to mind the gradual textural intensity of Death Cab for Cutie‘s Transatlanticism. The latter of the two tracks is also a fantastic example of how Lea Thomas can take a simple motif and manifest enthralling soundscapes around them. “River Runs Through” is another example, rooted in a pattern that remains steadfast as the ground beneath our feet, anchoring us, reminding us that however far we may wander in any given direction, whatever we may experience on our journey, we can and will return to the binding comfort of that small seedling where we began:
‘A river runs through us
it runs on forever
it gathers our stories
if love and of worry
a mirror before us
above and below us that
brings us together’
Don’t believe for a moment, however, that there isn’t variety. “Cosmos Forever”, the record’s eponymous track, carries itself splendidly with a more pronounced strength, incorporating swooning electronic thrums that open the rest of the track up into a smouldering, almost grunge-like zeal that propels us onward. Palm mutes and accentuated strums also pair deftly with Thomas’s sultry multi-layered delivery, plotting a course to deliver us to the heavens and fulfil the song’s titular ambition.
The likes of the botanically named “Bauhinia” and “Thousand Leaves”, by comparison, are leisurely affairs. Unrushed and unassuming, their breathy vocal melodies and almost horizontal pace usher us like loose leaves in an autumnal breeze to soothe and settle the mind. “Thousand Leaves” in particular makes excellent use of space. Knowing how and when to make noise is useful; knowing how and when to keep quiet is even more important. The momentary absences of instrumentation or voice welcome you to be as still as the composition itself seemingly is – an invitation to acknowledge your own surroundings and state of being, and to soak them up. It induces a sense of peace, a lifting of weight enacted with vivid imagery of the beauty and detail in the natural world around us that is prevalent across the album.
Ending on as pertinent a note as we began, “You Belong to No One”, is a culmination of the above. We are bid farewell with a lengthy love letter reminder to ourselves, underscored by simplistic strums that dance around Thomas’s vocal lines and softly constructed ambience that sweeps through, leading our journey to its satisfying and tranquil end. Nothing left but to take the journey all over again.
In Cosmos Forever, Lea Thomas has gifted us a record of spellbinding beauty and grace. While it does possess instances of more evident fervency, the true grandeur and power of this album lies in how Lea Thomas is able to transport the listener to a wonderful wilderness of sound. Restorative and enriching at its heart, you’d do well to give it your fullest attention when you listen, completely free from distraction. ‘Let’s go for a walk/Don’t talk’, as the album’s opening lines suggest. In doing so, you’ll discover a blissful musical experience that guides and gives in abundance.
